(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. On their tiny, isolated island, Sadie and Flora celebrate their first solo afternoon with a tea party as their parents sail off to the market. The sisters decorate the garden with flowers and "ribbons the color of the sky and little lights that shone like pearls." Tea is poured, and a pretty little cake with roses is served. Then a shark, disguised in a fisherman's yellow slicker, arrives and makes himself comfortable. The sisters smell something fishy and remain guarded as the shark spins tales of life at sea. When he wolfs down three slices of cake, then opens wide to finish the rest, the double row of sharky teeth reveals the truth. "It's time to go. GOODBYE!" yells Sadie, but the shark lunges and chomps at her, trashing the decorations in the process. Brave little Flora (with some help from her stuffed animal, Blue) saves Sadie, and together the sisters hurl the shark back into the sea. Shortly thereafter, they warmly welcome Mama and Papa home. Textured watercolors, featuring Ruzzier's style of offbeat creatures and landscapes, illuminate the action, with a dramatic sky in the background. The story flirts with dangerous scenarios but doesn't dwell on any lessons, instead focusing on the strength of sibling bonds and teamwork.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Walter (a mouse-like creature) and Xavier (who resembles a duck) do everything together, including boating (their canoe has "X + W" carved into it) and hiking. When a quilled creature appears on the scene, however, Xavier's attention turns to her. The close friendship ends, and Walter mourns the loss: "There was...a big hole in his heart where Xavier used to be." But time passes, and one day Walter takes a hike alone, trying a new trail and making a new friend. Underwood's story sensitively presents a common childhood occurrence, as evident in the title's past tense: the disintegration of a friendship. The book's pacing is superb and lets the story breathe. The single short sentence that chronicles the turning-away of Xavier is dispersed amongst four spreads, Ruzzier extending the five words with his warm and expressive watercolors to unfold the drama of a friendship dissolving. Walter's sorrow, which includes bouts of anger, is given the same leisurely pace, making his return to the hiking trail after his time of grief immensely gratifying. The way Ruzzier captures the changing emotions on Walter's face and the space the story gives to his time of "sad quiet" are honest and respectful to the interior lives of children. Details delight: Walter wears a stylish feathered hat and wraps his tail around a rung of his chair as he reads. Emotionally rewarding and cathartic.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2022

(2) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. In expertly scanned and rhymed verse, Rylant offers up many of the things we can be grateful for: "We give thanks for apple trees / and bushes filled with roses. / We give thanks for nice warm soup / and fires to warm our toeses." The text gains by its specificity ("The mailman, the grocer, and the nice Italian waiter") and is augmented by Ruzzier's gently comic ­pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations of a kingdom of animal friends, a world in which a bear can lovingly cradle a smiling fish. With the verses easy to remember and fun to say out loud, this could become a favorite (and non-sectarian) Thanksgiving (or anytime) tradition.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Sixteen brief, informative, highly entertaining, and easy-to-read poems follow robin parents as they raise two sets of babies. Ruzzier's personality-filled and amusing pen-and-ink and watercolor pictures feature correct bird anatomy, with details and poses that are comically reminiscent of humans. Individual poems stand alone, but the book is also short and lively enough for a full read-through.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. These two cheeky collections of very brief stories (originally illustrated by Victoria Chess) feature realistically self-centered children or anthropomorphic animals with one thing in common: they know how to game the system and/or trick adults. These new editions are sized perfectly for a child's hands. Ruzzier's illustrations are both profuse (appearing on every spread) and understated (pen-and-ink and wash vignettes, with just one color). Review covers these titles: Fables You Shouldn't Pay Any Attention To and Tales for the Perfect Child.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1985; May, 2017

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. These two cheeky collections of very brief stories (originally illustrated by Victoria Chess) feature realistically self-centered children or anthropomorphic animals with one thing in common: they know how to game the system and/or trick adults. These new editions are sized perfectly for a child's hands. Ruzzier's illustrations are both profuse (appearing on every spread) and understated (pen-and-ink and wash vignettes, with just one color). Review covers these titles: Fables You Shouldn't Pay Any Attention To and Tales for the Perfect Child.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: June, 1978; May, 2017

(2) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. In this cumulative tale with a surprising ending, Fox, Wicked Witch, Bear, Crocodile, and others pull levers, flick switches, and turn dials in an attempt to activate a robot. Each time, the robot makes a new sound ("BANG! BOOOO"), but it doesn't speak until a pigtailed girl uses a key. Pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations stand in comical contrast to the high-tech topic. Preschoolers will love shouting out all the sounds.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(3) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. When Mouse finds a shoe, he goes on a quest to find its owner. On his search, he meets several different animals until he finally discovers the (kind and generous) owner. Told in playful rhyming verse supported by Ruzzier's whimsical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, readers will delight in this cheery story with a good message about the value of honesty.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(1) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. None of Duck's animal friends is able to help him find his new blue socks, and Duck remains frustrated until at last he discovers the socks' location. Ruzzier has hidden them in plain sight amongst the offbeat details in the cartoon illustrations. Jaunty rhyme and an accessible vocabulary make this a perfect book for the newest reader.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(1) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. "'Hold on to my tail, Little Elephant,' Mama Elephant said. '...If you want to ask me a question, tweak twice.'" Tweak and ask she does: from the names of the animals they encounter to what each is doing. Can she, Little Elephant, do those things, too? The pairing of Bunting's elegant text with Ruzzier's offbeat art, including surreal, rather Seussian landscapes, is unexpectedly fabulous.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. A harvest moon hangs in the night sky, tantalizing a young witch. She goes inside to retrieve a broom, but a monster declares he needs it. Neither is scary: the witch smiles sweetly and the monster wears a diaper. Bold shades of limited colors, including purple, gold, apple green, and red, help create a gem for emergent readers in its self-contained simplicity.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2010

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Purported "undiscovered" creatures, including Bigfoot, the Cadborosaurus, and the Jersey Devil, are described in terms of reported sightings, origin theories, and scientific debate. Both believers and naysayers are cited, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions at the end of each stand-alone chapter. The anthropomorphic, slightly goofy illustrations don't match the text's clear-cut tone of scientific inquiry. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Unlike that self-satisfied Guess How Much I Love You bunny, here's a parent whose claim of unconditional love has some grit. Rendered in comical, understated watercolors, a resigned mother cat lists numerous scenarios in which her impish daughter is less than well-behaved but, of course, still loved. All the examples capture the universally difficult yet amusing aspects of life with a preschooler.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much About series. Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. The question-and-answer format of this series detracts from the magical quality of the myths themselves, but some of the background information, the sidebars that describe word origins, and "mythic links" between cultures are intriguing. The sketchy illustrations add little to the volume, which is also illustrated with reproductions of art from around the world. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(2) PS Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Grandmother Mole takes on some of the more greedy, anarchic moments of preschooler-hood in four perceptive, amusing, and short tales. With the compelling patterns and verbal economy of a gifted storyteller, Segal draws us into an idiosyncratic, comfortable world. Ruzzier's portrait of the moles as lovable grotesques complete this mix of homey charm and otherworldly weirdness.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2005

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. These four brief, whimsical tales of a mole and his grandmother lack the resonance of Segal's previous work, but they provide a glimpse of the enduring relationship between the old and the young. The stories navigate the ordinary dilemmas of family life: finding lost glasses, enduring temper tantrums, answering unanswerable questions. Sophisticated yet silly illustrations enhance the text.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. The celebrated poet has published more than thirty-five books for children, and this handsome volume collects many of her previously published poems in one pleasantly hefty tome. Ruzzier's deceptively simple line drawings are a perfect complement to these child-centered poems. Ind.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much series. Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. This book provides deep, wide-ranging coverage of the planets, stars, and space exploration, along with black-and-white illustrations, poorly reproduced photos, and information boxes containing biographical profiles. The text occasionally employs weak humor. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta